Columns

Editor’s Note: The Perry County News is publishing a series of interviews conducted by eighth-graders in Joyce Stath’s English class at Tell City Junior-Senior High School. The interviews are of people one or two generations older than students. Today’s column is by Mackenzie Fulton, who profiles her grandmother, Debbie Schraner.

After several weeks of debating on who I should interview, I chose my grandma, Debbie Schraner.

I can vividly remember the first and only letter to the editor I ever penned. I was in seventh grade and decided to point a scolding finger at school officials in Spencer County.

For whatever reason, Heritage Hills, then less than 10 years old, had a roof in very poor condition that leaked every time it rained. Water poured through the flat roof, staining ceiling tiles and carpet. On rainy days, there were trash cans scattered along the school’s hallways and classrooms.

Recent events in Crimea give President Obama yet another reason to approve Keystone XL. Russia’s military incursion highlights the need for improved transportation of oil and natural gas from North America for energy-market stability.

Immediately after Putin’s forces entered the Crimean Peninsula, the price of crude oil jumped to a sustained six-month high of nearly $105 a barrel. Every dollar increase adds cents-per-gallon at the pump and to heating-oil bills.

Editor’s note: This article was first published in April 2010. At the request of several readers, it is being reprinted this Easter season.

I didn’t make it to Good Friday church services last week. But watching a few good men remove a dead man from a truck served as good a reminder as any of not only Jesus’ death but those who freed him from the cross.

So, you're new in town and you don't know anyone? Hello, my name is Shawn Jones and that's what I went though when my family and I moved here 10 years ago. We moved to Perry County in 2004 from St. Joe, Mich. for my husband's position as accounting manager at ATTC Manufacturing.

As we are wrapping up National Public Health Week, I thought I would take the time to share some of the ways the Indiana General Assembly addressed the issue of public health this session. Public health is considered the protection and improvement upon health of families and communities. In order to do this, there must be a promotion of healthy lifestyles as well as educating the public on disease and injury prevention.

Despite environmentalists’ efforts to stall the approval of Keystone XL, some real progress could soon be made.

The State Department just released its long-awaited analysis of the project’s environmental impact. The study’s key finding: building and maintaining Keystone would have virtually no effect on global carbon emissions. Indeed, without the pipeline, emissions could rise because the oil will be transported by more carbon-intensive means.

As a father of four and baseball coach of many, I always love hearing about personal goals of young students, their favorite classes and what they want to be when they grow up. These hopes and dreams of our state’s children weigh heavily on me as I cast votes and author bills during the legislative session. Our legislation has a direct impact on our state’s future, our children.

As a child, I always looked forward to the carefree joy of summertime. I remember the long days of playing outside at a nearby park until I needed to come home for lunch. Unfortunately, many of our nation’s children do not experience the simple joys of summer. In fact, far too many are left worrying where their next breakfast or lunch will come from when schools are dismissed for summer break.